PFPR promotes EV technology to fleets

14 November 2016

For the last two years, PFPR has worked with Go Ultra Low, a communication campaign that promotes the benefits of electric vehicles backed by the Department for Transport and automotive industry. More than half of all new car registrations in the UK are to fleets and businesses, so corporate sales have the potential to make a significant impact on electric vehicle uptake.

Last week, as part of the ongoing PR programme, we organised Go Ultra Low’s second annual fleet summit, entitled ‘The Future of the Car’. The summit featured senior political speakers (including Transport Minister John Hayes MP) and brought together more than 80 senior fleet decision-makers to discuss the benefits and perceived issues in the electric vehicle sector.

PFPR worked with Sewells Research & Insight to generate a news angle for the summit. Conducting a detailed survey of 200 company car drivers, the research uncovered that the majority (75%) of UK businesses don’t offer their employees electric vehicles as company cars, thus restricting potential growth.

We positioned this research as a central news theme of the summit, helping to generate coverage in national and fleet media including Daily Express, Fleet News, Fleet World and Business Car.

At the summit, our varied agenda ensured the most topical issues were debated by an expert panel taking questions from the audience after an initial case-study overview from Go Ultra Low Company – Britvic. The insightful and varied conversation covered the breadth of important issues, informing and inspiring attendees, while giving media a host of angles for news stories.

Thanks to improvements in electric vehicle technology and initiatives like the Go Ultra Low campaign promoting their benefits, EVs look set to continue their upward trajectory. Our team is already planning for the 2017 Go Ultra Low campaign, and how it can convince more businesses to add EVs to their choice lists and promote low-emission motoring.

Attendees appreciated this interactive approach, telling the PFPR team that it “felt real” compared to other more formulaic event programmes, and as a consequence, “generated buzz” for EVs among the audience.